Sirens

I hear the sirens shrieking, screaming
Ailing, wailing out in pain
Their echoes loud through streets they crowd
And wonder why I’m not insane
Maybe I’m already accustomed
To this program in my brain
I hear them traveling, thrashing through
Fleeting, beating on like drums
It’s no surprise to hear their cries
Throughout these broken city slums
But still I dread their howling signals
As their urgent flaring comes
I hear them zoom, zealously zipping
Dashing, flashing without grief
To fill their call they do not stall
In their pursuit to catch a thief
Although they represent protection
Their shrill sounds bring no relief
I fear those alarms; angry, alert
Stopping, dropping by my door
With boys in blue and something new
For me to become panicked for
And so I listen as they pass me
Screaming sounds I can’t ignore